Mozzarella, Ham, and Basil Panini

Trina's pick 1 of the day!! Ham and Mozzarella Panini's yummy!!

Serve these simple pressed sandwiches with a pickle and some vegetable chips.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) loaf ciabatta, cut in half horizontally
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
• 12 basil leaves
• 8 ounces sliced 33%-less-sodium cooked deli ham (such as Healthy Choice)
• 2 sweetened hot cherry peppers, sliced
• 1 large plum tomato, thinly sliced
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Brush cut side of the bottom bread half with mustard; brush cut side of top half with vinegar. Top bottom half with mozzarella, basil, ham, peppers, and tomato. Top with remaining bread half.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwich to pan; top with another heavy skillet. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Cut sandwich into 6 wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

371 (30% from fat)

Fat:

12.5g (sat 6.1g,mono 5g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

20.2g

Carbohydrate:

44.9g

Fiber:

1.8g

Cholesterol:

46mg

Iron:

3mg

Sodium:

976mg

Calcium:

220mg

Thanks to Cooking Light for the recipe and picture!!

Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing

Ky's pick 2 of the day!!! A very healthy salad!!

The tart dressing contrasts with the sweet corn, tomatoes, and crab. Serve with a lemon wedge, if desired. Pair it with cucumber soup or a grilled sandwich.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices ripe beefsteak tomato
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation

1. Combine rind, 3 tablespoons juice, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons juice mixture. Add remaining 2 tablespoons juice, corn, and next 4 ingredients (through crab) to remaining juice mixture; toss gently to coat.

2. Arrange 2 tomato slices and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes on each of 4 plates. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon reserved juice mixture over each serving. Top each serving with 1 cup corn and crab mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

242 (21% from fat)

Fat:

5.6g (sat 0.6g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

30g

Carbohydrate:

17.7g

Fiber:

3.6g

Cholesterol:

128mg

Iron:

1.8mg

Sodium:

613mg

Calcium:

1mg

Thanks to My Recipe for the recipe and picture!!!

Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

Ky's pick 1 of the day!! More vegetarian Quesadillas!!

This salsa is also great on turkey sandwiches. To make meatless quesadillas, use sautéed vegetables in place of the turkey.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 wedges, about 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Ingredients

• SALSA:
• 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Anjou pear, cored and finely diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 
  QUESADILLAS:
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (2-inch-thick) slices green onions
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

To prepare salsa, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and chill.

To prepare quesadillas, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup sliced onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Remove onions from pan; reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each of 4 tortillas. Top each cheese-covered tortilla with one-fourth of onions, 1/2 cup turkey, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tortilla.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve with cranberry salsa and sour cream.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

356 (25% from fat)

Fat:

9.7g (sat 4.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.2g)

Protein:

19.4g

Carbohydrate:

47.8g

Fiber:

3g

Cholesterol:

42mg

Iron:

2.7mg

Sodium:

372mg

Calcium:

218mg

Thanks to My Recipes for the recipe and picture!!

Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil

Sah's pick 2 of the day! Brown rice with tomatoes...mmmm

Prep Time:

5 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

40 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup Texmati brown rice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 cup Champagne or rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, large-diced
• 1 cup packed basil leaves (1 large bunch), chopped

Directions

Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil and add the rice and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Return to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Transfer the rice to a bowl.

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, remaining teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Pour over the rice. Add the tomatoes and basil. Mix well and check the seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Thanks to Food Network for recipe and picture!!!

Grilled Mixed Fruit

Sah's pick 1 of the day!!! Grilled fruit! Yummm

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
• 4 bananas, halved lengthwise
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoons simple syrup, recipe follows

Directions

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, toss the fruit in the sugar to coat. Grill over medium heat, until a golden crust begins to form on the fruit, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

In another medium bowl, mix together the mint, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Arrange the fruit on a serving platter, drizzle the mint syrup over top, and serve.

Simple syrup:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar

In a saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup before using. Any extra cooled syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Yield: 1/2 cup

Thanks to Food Network for the recipe and picture!!

Farfalle with Broccoli

Sah's pick 2 of the day!! Looks delicious!!

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound farfalle pasta
• 2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 anchovy fillets, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Thanks to Food Network for the recipe and picture!!!

Carrot-Pineapple Slaw

Ky's pick 3 of the day!!! Carrot-Pineapple Slaw!!

The sweet top notes in this salad make it a delicious match for grilled pork tenderloin or pork chops.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 (10-ounce) package matchstick-cut carrots
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine oil and next 3 ingredients (through pineapple juice), stirring with a whisk. Add oil mixture to carrot mixture; toss well. Add parsley, salt, and pepper; toss well. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

130 (34% from fat)

Fat:

4.9g (sat 0.4g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.5g)

Protein:

1g

Carbohydrate:

22.7g

Fiber:

2.3g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.6mg

Sodium:

132mg

Calcium:

32mg

Thanks to My Recipes to the recipe and picture!!!